Samsung Electronics is the First to Develop a Core Technology for the 5G Mobile Communications

Samsung Electronics announced that it has developed a core technology to transmit and receive data in the latest 5G mobile communications environment, becoming the first company to do so in the world.

5G is the next generation network hundreds times faster than the current 4G mobile communications network. This will enable users to enjoy 3D movies, game and Ultra High Definition (UHD) contents using their smart devices.

Maximum transmission speed for the 5G mobile communications is expected to amount to dozens of Gbps. This allows transmission of a UHD movie within seconds.

Samsung Electronics succeeded in the development and preview of its technology which gives over 1Gbps transmission speed in the super-high frequency band of 28㎓ and up to 2㎞ transmission distance.
Technology to transmit and receive Giga level data using superhigh frequency (over 6㎓) was never before developed by any corporations or organizations globally.

Allowing for depletion of resources in mobile communications frequency and in order to realize much faster speed, 5G will be using a much higher band frequency than the current frequency of hundreds of ㎒~ several ㎓ used for mobile communications.

However in the super-high frequency band, issues like frequency loss and shorter transmission distance may occur. Samsung Electronics resolved this challenge with its adaptive array transmission reception technology using the 64 antenna elements.

Aiming commercialization by 2020, Samsung Electronics plans to research and develop in full-scale the core technologies for 5G mobile communications including adaptive array transmission reception in a superhigh frequency band.

Latest development by Samsung Electronics is expected to encourage further research for 5G mobile communications around the globe and thus speed up 5G related international standardization works and its service commercialization.

Race to win supremacy over the next generation mobile communications technology is getting intense with China setting up a government-led IMT-2020(5G) Promotion Group for 5G development in February and EU Executives making decision to invest 50 million Euros for this year alone to target service commercialization by 2020.

Success in developing an adaptive array transmission reception technology brought us closer to commercialization of a 5G mobile communications using super-high frequency band, remarked Kim Chang-yong, Head of DMC Research Institute (Vice President) at Samsung Electronics.

Source: Samsung Media

The Beginning: Understanding The Mobile Technologies Part-1

I started this blog to create a database of knowledge for people who seek answers. I have been associated with Samsung's Mobile R&D Center known as the Software Engineering Lab, India,  for past 2 years and previously with Microsoft as a Microsoft Student Parter 2009-2012. I  have learned quite a lot about Mobile Technology - not by training - but by individual effort and by utilizing the opportunities that were made available to me.

I have planned to write a series of blog-posts about Mobile Technologies. However, these blog-posts are simple and elegant answers for common questions. You won't find any of Samsung's or Microsoft's trade-secrets (if you are looking for one :P ). Moreover, these blog-posts are going to be about Mobile Technology in general not just about Samsung or Microsoft products.

So here are few of the blog-posts, i.e., the articles I am going to cover:

What is hacking w.r.t. Mobile Devices?
What is Firmware?
What is Flashing?
What is Rooting?
What is Jail Breaking?
and so on....


Hope you learn and enjoy the articles. Any feedback whether positive or negative are welcome. I would really love to learn from your experiences and my mistakes.

However, you need to understand that everything on this blog represents my interpretation and understandings and you are free to have your own opinion. Also, my interpretation and/or understanding might be wrong or at the very least a bit off-course in a few cases. Though, I try my best to make sure about the accuracy of my posts, I am human - just like you (I sincerely assume you are one :P), and hence prone to mistakes. I know for sure, I am not God (only He is free from mistakes) :)

This article was first published at My Main Blog - Aasthik - http://www.aasthik.com/2012/08/The-Beginning-Understanding-The-Mobile-Technologies-Part-1.html

Samsung Launches ATIV Smart PC Pro - Samsung's First Windows 8 device in India

 Samsung has recently launched its magnificent gadget - the ATIV Smart PC Pro in India.

This tablet-cum-PC with Model number XE700T1C-AO1IN runs on Windows8 (the latest offering by Microsoft) and is now available in Samsung India E-store for 75K.

The amazing specs of this device include:

1. 4GB DDR3 RAM
2. Intel i5 Processor
3. 128 GB of Internal Hard-disk Space

To know more about about the specs and features click on the following pic:

First 50 Owners Of The Galaxy S III Will Win Tickets To The London 2012 Olympics

It wasn’t merely coincidence that Samsung opted to launch its eagerly-awaited Galaxy S III device in London earlier this month, since it’s a major sponsor of the Olympic Games, and as you’re most probably aware, London is 2012′s hosting city. The device will likely be pushed into the faces of those tuning in to watch the events, and even though there a couple of months still to go before the opening ceremony, the Korean electronics company has already kicked things off by offering free Olympic tickets to the first 50 owners of its flagship device.

Available only to those who’ve pre-ordered, the tickets will be dished out among the lucky first 50 customers to purchase the device from the Samsung store Westfield Stratford City, London. The shopping center, which has only just been built, will likely be met with frenzied Galaxy fans as it begins retailing the device at 6PM on 29th May.



This period of time is certainly tantalizing for those itching to get their claws on the latest device. Having revealed it on the 5th of this month, consumers have had to be content with various video reviews and hands-on previews, teasing them until it goes on general sale. It’s a long three weeks, and although the device was met with mixed reviews by the tech world, with nearly 10 million pre-orders and counting, it looks set to be another hit – taking the baton passed on by the S II.

Despite boasting a sleuth of exclusive features and perks, the Android community has already extracted most of its treasures and shared them out, the most notable being of course S Voice. The feature, which bears striking similarities to Siri (we didn’t say copying, now did we?) is under stably the most sought after, and thanks to a little tinkering from those in the know, it now works perfectly on many non-S III devices.



The lucky few who’ve given it a test drive seem to believe S Voice actually works better than Siri, but in my humble opinion, voice recognition isn’t really the be-all, end-all when looking at a smartphone – particularly when the hardware is as tasty as the quad-core processor and Super AMOLED HD display of the S III.

14 Reasons why Samsung Omnia W is way ahead of Samsung Focus.

Samsung has developed many phones and is one of the leaders in the business. Though Samsung has tasted more success with Android and its propriety platforms like Bada, SGP & MMP, it has also produced some very nice Smartphones based on Microsoft's OS - The Windows Phone.

Samsung Focus, Samsung Focus S, Samsung Focus Flash and Samsung OmniaW to name a few.I bought Samsung Omnia W just yesterday and today I will be comparing it to the earlier launched Samsung Focus.

People usually do not have any idea about judging a mobile. The irony is most of them think they do! The only thing they can compare are the hardware specs made available by websites. However, that is just the surface.Comparison of mobiles goes way deeper than that.

Carrying on, here are the points where Samsung Omnia W outsmarts Samsung Focus.

1. Coming to the main part - the heart and soul of mobile - its the chipset. Samsung Omnia W has Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon while the Samsung Focus has Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset. .

2. Samsung Omnia W has a 1.4 Gz CPU while Samsung Focus has 1Gz CPU.

3. Samsung Omnia W has a Adreno 205 GPU and Samsung Focus has Adreno 200 GPU.

4. Samsung Omnia W has a secondary camera which is very useful and necessary for Video calling. Without it 3G is often a waste. Samsung Focus doesn't have a secondary camera.You can check the FAQs by Samsung.

5. Samsung Omnia W supports HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps while Samsung Focus supports HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps - which is the difference in 3G download speeds. This is a massive factor people usually neglect.

6. Samsung Omnia W has a smaller screen  but has larger pixel density which actually makes its display much better. Its the picture density that is more important at the corporate level.
Samsung Omnia W - 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches (~252 ppi pixel density)
Samsung Focus - 480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches (~233 ppi pixel density)

7. Samsung Omnia W is capable of recording videos with 720p@30fps while Focus flash captures at 720p@25fps.


8. Though the Samsung FAQ mention otherwise, many people doubt that there is a Corning Gorilla Glass in Samsung Focus. You can check here and here. Samsung Omnia W has Corning Gorilla glass.

9. Samsung Omnia W has a WiFi hotspot (it can be used as a router). I am not sure about Samsung Focus though. I think its not present.

10. Both - Samsung Omnia W  and Samsung Focu has Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh. However, due to its improved chipset and tailor made latest OS from Microsoft, Omnia has 370 hrs stand by and 7hrs talk-time while Samsung Focus has 300 hrs standby and 6.5 hours talk time.

11. Samsung Omnia W weighs only 115.3 g compared to Samsung Focus weighs 119.4g. Thete may not seem much of a difference, but its considered critically in the tech-world and also from business perspective.

12. Samsung Focus was released in 2010, November followed but its improved versions like Focus S and Focus Flash. Samsung Omnia W was released in 2011, October.

What customers are usually unaware of is the fact that in Software development lifecycle, any new product in usually ( 90% times) much more stable. This is because programmers and hardware engineers have already fixed the bugs that were found in previous models, and if required, have even replaced large amount of codes and hardware in the chipset.

13. Last but not the least, any Smartphone works the best with its own OS, because the architecture of the phone is designed keeping the OS in mind. It can never match up by updated OS, unless the company has released a newer version which costs less and is inferior to the previous version.

14.By using any comparativity tool, you can see that Omnia W has better Image Quality, Audio Call quality etc.

There are other things though, a few far more important than the ones mentioned above. They relate to patented technologies, which {being a Samsung employee} I am not allowed to disclose.

So it is my request that you should have an open mind, and should not compare just the Hardware specifications. It is foolish to assume that you know everything.

Samsung Launches Galaxy M Style in South Korea

The beautiful Galaxy M Style smartphone now arrives in South Korea available to through SK Telecom. It seems like there is no end to Galaxy series and smartphone keeps coming by Samsung to this series.

 Galaxy M Style as spotted earlier, is a mid range smartphone coming out with various colors. It’s with 4 inches Super AMOLED display and provides a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. It’s powered with 1 Ghz single core MSM7x27A processor and runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. This would be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in Q2 this year. This phone is more often a little brother of Samsung Galaxy S Advance but it comes with metal finish.

Unlike other Galaxy phone which comes with plastic body, it with metal body and it has thickness of 9.9 mm. Also included in this phone is the 3 mega pixel camera at the rear which can be used to take photos and videos at HD quality as well. The front facing camera can be used for video chat and video calls. It provides 4 GB of internal storage capacity which is expanded using the micro SD card slot pumping another 32 GB via micro SD card.

Various other features like Wi Fi, Bluetooth, terrestrial DMB and 1650 mAh battery are worth consider. It has the dimension of 122.5mm × 63mm × 9.9mm and weights 123 grams. Galaxy M Style is available in various colors of Platinum Silver, Blue Black and Lavender Pink.

Galaxy M Style Price & Availability
Galaxy M Style smartphone is now readily available in South Korea and other parts of the world as well. Without any discount from the carrier i.e., SK Telecom it’s available at a price of 600,000 won or 44,000 yen. It’s readily available at the same price through Korean Telecom and LG U+ network.

Samsung Galaxy Xcover Dirt & WaterProof Phone with IP67 certification

Samsung Electronics, during an event in Germany announced the launch of Samsung Galaxy Xcover and thus it expands its range of rugged mobile phones for the active lifestyle users.

The Samsung Galaxy Xcover is well protected against the environmental dust and dirt. More than that the Xcover handset is water proof. Samsung says the Xcover can be submerged in the water of 1 meter depth for up to 30 minutes and still it can work perfectly. Its called as IP67 certification in which mobile comes with water resistant and dust resistance capabilities and this mobile is very much on that mark. Another mobile phone which we have seen with IP67 certification is Motorola Defy.

The Galaxy Xcover will feature a 3.6 inches display screen with HVGA display with scratch resistant tempered glass with capacitive touchscreen.

Samsung Galaxy Xcover would be feature Android 2.3 Gingerbread firmware. So as you know the specialty of Android, you would be able to browse Android App Market and enjoy the freedom of installing various games, software’s and gain access to admin files with rooting. You can also upgrade your Galaxy Xcover mobile with future updates of firmware as they are available with both official and leaked version. We would be right available for you to provide the tutorial for the same when the updates are available.

It will sport a 3.2 mega pixel camera with LED flash which I think it’s not among the highest standards of recent mobile phone. The Galaxy Xcover offers wireless connectivity options through various sources which includes Wi-Fi, 3G with HSDPA connection with a maximum transfer rate of up to 7.2 mbps.

The handset comes with Samsung Social Hub integration. Samsung Social Hub is the fastest way to chat. It aggregates all your messages, contacts, emails and social networking communications with easy to navigate screen. You receive the message and email using the push technology which is used by GMail only as of now, thus saves battery on your Android. It will allow you to sync your contacts with calendar, birthday reminders, events, major portal such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and mySpace.

The Samsung Galaxy Xcover would be available in store from October 2011 in Germany and there is no announcement on pricing details and on its worldwide launch. Finally to describe Galaxy Xcover in one sentence –phone in which water-resistant case meets social networking and Android Gingerbread. This handset would be perfect for those who uses their mobile phone very roughly.

How to Recover IMEI in your Samsung Galaxy S2 Android Phone

There has been many instances where the users of Android mobile device users lose their IMEI numbers and which is indeed a cause of concern as re implanting the IMEI is not an easy job and it’s not recommended as well. The device which we will be talking about on how to recover the IMEI is the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone. The recovery of the IMEI is very important as without the IMEI some of the network operators doesnt allow the latching of the network which is very painful at times. The loss of IMEI generally happens in the process of custom ROM firmware update.

Note: As of now the below mentioned tutorial should only be applied to the devices with the model number as Samsung Galaxy S2 but as in when this procedure of backing up the IMEI comes to other devices, we will cover the same here.

Before we proceed to the actual instructions, lets know on what are the quick pre requisites you need to fulfill which are mentioned below.
Quick Pre Requisites:

• Galaxy S2 should be rooted and should not be a Network Locked Device (Unlocked device will do),
• Root Explorer should be installed in your phone so that you can then copy the files from / to EFS Folder present in your phone.
• Terminal Emulator app should be installed in your Galaxy S2.

Procedure to Recover IMEI of Samsung Galaxy S2 Android Phone:

• Open the “Root Explorer” application in your phone and backup the folder which is named as “EFS” to your SD card and another copy you can store it in your computer.
• Now after ensuring that you have backed up the EFS Folder, delete the “EFS” folder from the root of your phone using the Root explorer.
• Now, reset the phone and then go to the root via Root explorer and you will see that the EFS Folder still exists. This EFS folder is the new one and not the old one which is automatically generated by the Android OS.
• In the EFS Folder, delete the file “nv_data.bin”, “nv_data.bin.md5″.
• Go to the EFS Folder which you have backed up in your device’s SD Card, copy the “IMEI” folder to the EFS Folder in your phone and copy the “.nv_data” file in the EFS Folder at the root of the phone using the root explorer
• Now, make another copy of “.nv_data” file in the EFS folder of your phone, so by now you will have the two copies of “.nv_data” in the EFS Folder
• Now, rename one of the”.nv_data.bin” to “nv_data.bin” and another one to the “nv_data.bin.bak”
• Up next in your PC, open the command prompt at the ADB tool path  or run the terminal in your phone to enter the below mentioned commands.

adb shell ( use this command of you use ADB, if you’re using terminal, skip this line )
su ( ALLOW THE MESSAGE CAME AT YOUR PHONE’s DISPLAY BY SUPERUSER PROGRAM )
chown 1001:radio /efs/nv_data.bin

• Finally reset the phone and there you go, the original IMEI has been restored which you can check by dialing *#06#

Congratulations, you have now successfully recovered your IMEI in your Samsung Galaxy S2. Do let us know in the comments section just in case if you face any issues as we will try our level best to address the same.

Which is better, which to buy - Galaxy Note 10.1 or Galaxy Tab 10.1 ?

The Galaxy Tab from Samsung is the best value for money tablet and is called as the direct iPad competitor and now comes the Galaxy note 10.1, no this is not a bigger version of the phone, but it is a tablet itself from the Korean giants. There’s been a lot of confusion regarding this though, how Samsung would be placing the Galaxy Note alongside the Galaxy Tab, and many of the consumers are confused about the difference in these two tablets too.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the successor to the infamous Samsung Tab 7.0 which was one of the first tablets to run on the Android OS. Whereas the Galaxy Note 10.1 is a revamped version of the phone, with a much bigger screen and an S-Pen. Though its still unclear how Samsung’s branding strategy works for tablets, considering how these two have different branding, yet almost the same functionality and screen size.

 

Table of Contents:

• Form Factor Comparison
• Display Comparison
• Camera Comparison
• Operating System and User Interface Comparison
• Connectivity Comparison
• Memory Comparison
• Processor and Battery Comparison

 

Form Factor:

The Samsung Galaxy Tab  is really thin, at  256.7 x 175.3 x 8.6 mm while the Galaxy Note is  256.7 x 175.3 x 8.9 mm. The Samsung Galaxy Tab weighs at just  565 grams, with a weight of 583g on the Galaxy Note, making it slightly higher in weight compared to the Galaxy Tab.

The Galaxy Tab is one of the slimmest tablets in the world, and the Korean company has launched the Note just to compete with the Tab.

Winner: Galaxy Tab 10.1

Display:
When it comes to the display,  the T-Mobile Slate 4G has a 8.9 inch display which has a maximum resolution of upto 1,280 x 768 while the Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 10.1 inch screen, which supports upto 256K colors and a maximum screen resolution of  1280×800. The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor and an accelerometer while the T-Mobile Slate 4G has the same sensors on it except the Proximity sensor.

Both the displays are capacitive screens and support multi touch input.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab 

Camera:
Both the tablets come with cameras and the has the same specifications. Both of them have a 3.15MP camera with a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536.  The camera on the Galaxy Note shoots at 1080p@30fps while the Galaxy Tab shoots at 720p
Both the tablets come with auto focus and LED flash, pictures are a bit more vibrant on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 though, due to the color tone of the camera.

Both the Note tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab have a secondary front facing camera, a 2MP camera on both which can be used for purposes like Skype, Gtalk, etc.

Winner: Galaxy Note (3D and Full HD recording)

 Operating System and User Interface:
The Samsung Galaxy Tab runs on Honeycomb 3.1 while the Galaxy Note comes with the newest version of operating system from Android, the ICS or Android v4.0.  There are a list of nice features like resizeable widgets, a new host mode, and Google’s new Movies app on HoneyComb 3.1 however, the latest version of Android is 4.0 is a treat for all Android fans with so many customizable widgets and apps that it goes one above the Galaxy Tab in terms of user Experience.

Though they run on the different operating systems, there is a no change in the User Interface. The Galaxy Tab runs  TouchWiz 4.0 (which is also seen on its high end smartphones like the Galaxy SII) top of Honeycomb, which adds its own small tweaks and gesture improvements throughout the software
Applications are aplenty and all apps on Android smartphones will run on tablets too, enlarged. Also, there are a lot of native apps on HoneyComb pre installed in the device and tablet specific apps are only about 200 in the Android Market and you can check out the Best Apps for Honeycomb Tablets and Best Games for HoneyComb Tablets also.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Connectivity:
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 GSM bands on 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and HSDPA on  850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 on 3G and comes with a standard SIM Card slot, if you are going for the 3G Model. While the Galaxy Note has the same specs in terms of connectivity.

Both the tablets have Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n and both of them have WiFi Hotspot capabalities, thanks to Android HoneyComb which has made it a standard features across all devices right from the most basic Android smartphones. To know how to use your Android HoneyComb Tablet as a WiFi Hotspot ad tether its internet connection, read How to Tether Android HoneyComb Tablets as WiFi Hotspot .

A-GPS support for location and navigation are also present and the Galaxy Tab has Bluetooth 2.1 and USB 2.0 connectivity, along with a HDMI port while the Galaxy Note has Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP. The HDMI port allows you to connect your tablet to a large screen and enjoy your HD Videos or games.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with an S-Pen for text input on the screen. The S-Pen is made to fit in a small slot on the rear-side panel of the Note 10.1 device and can be pulled out and used as and when needed. Also, Samsung has added a Notes app on the Note 10.1 which enables the user to scribble or jot down things quickly right from their homescreen and it comes with a widget too.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1



Memory:
The Samsung Galaxy Note comes with 16, 32 or 64 GB of memory and can also be expanded upto 32GB with microSD slot while the Galaxy Tab comes with 8/16/32 GB of internal memory but cannot be extended due to the absence of a microSD slot.

Winner: Samsung Note 10.1

Processor and Battery:
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, with 1GB of DDR2 RAM while the Galaxy Note has a Dual-core 1.4 GHz processor with 1GB of DDR2 RAM.

Though both the processors might look similar on the technical side, the Galaxy Tab has a Tegra 2 T20 chipset with ULP GeForce™ GPU for quick Web browsing and HD Gaming while the Note 10.1 uses a Tegra chip on it as well.

The Galaxy Tab and Note 10.1  from Samsung come with a 7000 mAh battery. Continuous usage and entertainment on the Galaxy Tab should give around 9-10 hours of battery life on the Galaxy Tab while the Note 10.1 will have a slightly higher standby time as it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which is much more optimized.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab 

Conclusion:
The Galaxy Tab from Samsung is worth the money you would be investing on a tablet, because of its sleek looks and good User Interface. However, the the Galaxy Note is a more powerful tablet which offers more power but is a little heavier. Its hard to choose between the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note because both of them have the same specs. But if you want to keep  up with the trend and want the latest, then go for the Galaxy Note which has the latest version of Android supported by a powerful processor.

While the Note 10.1 might carry a higher price tag than the Galaxy Tab 10.1, going for the Note would make a more sensible purchase as it would not get outdated very soon while the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is already getting outdated and doesn’t have Android Ice Cream Sandwich, though it might get an update to it.

Better than Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab2 - Its called Samsung Slate 7.

Samsung Slate 7 series is here to rock the Tablet World. If you thought Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab2 were the best deals - think again - Samsung Slate 7 is here to surprise you!

Following are the details of the Samsung Slate 7, that I have:

Model	Samsung Slate 7 Series
CPU	Dual-core 1.6-GHz Intel Core i5-2467M low-voltage processor
Operating System	Windows7 upgradable to Windows8
RAM	4GB DDR3 RAM
Internal Memory	128 GB
Display	11.6-inch SuperBright LED backlit display
Brightness	400 nits
Resolution	1366X768
SIM Support	Yes
3G	Internal
GPU	Intel HD graphic 3000
Front Camera	2MP
Rear Camera	3MP
Connectivity	Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11n
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscopic sensors, GPS
Boot time	Just 30 seconds

For those of you who are not aware of Windows 8, Microsoft launched Windows8 with one main thing in mind - A single Operating System for PCs, Tablets and Phone! Yes, thats it! All the apps will work in SmartPhones, Tablets and Desktops.

And it doesn't end there...

The biggest problem plaguing the Windows tablet concept has always been the lack of a physical keyboard and mouse - two elements that are too deeply integrated into Windows to discard without inconveniencing users. Samsung has sidestepped these problems with a digital pen, dock, and wireless keyboard. Combined with the impressive hardware inside, the Series 7 Slate stands to be used both as a consumption device and a genuine productivity tool.

The dock, in addition to the necessary docking connection, offers full-sized versions of the ports found on the tablet, with HDMI, USB 2.0 and Ethernet ports available. The dock is also remarkably sturdy, with metal construction, and table- gripping rubber feet that provide a surprisingly stable base for the slate. When using the touch screen in this set-up, I found myself wishing that touch-screened desktop computers were so stable. The accompanying wireless keyboard is just as slim and light as the Series 7 itself, with chiclet-style keys and a cool brushed aluminum surface.

The Series 7 Slate is also light, weighing 1.96 pounds - lighter than many smaller 10-inch tablets we've seen, like the Acer Iconia W500-BZ467, which weighed in at 2.1 pounds. It's thin too, measuring less than a half inch thick. The back appears to be brushed aluminum, and the rich texture of the cool metal surface leaves you feeling that the slate, though thin and light, is still substantial.

Samsung Windows 8 tablets which were distributed in Developer build conference were 5000 in numbers. Distributed Samsung tablets are equivalent to series 7 slate PC, which has gone through multiple updates so as to fulfill the requirements of the customers. Currently, research is being carried out on Samsung Windows 8 tablets so to transform them to latest functionality which is rich in thin dimensioning and other parameters.

Price of Samsung Galaxy Tab drops to INR 14,500!

Price of Galaxy Tab in India had been one of the reasons for its limited sales. However, the introduction of low cost Smartphone-tablet-PCs have resulted in price drops in tablets of major players and Samsung is no exception.

Samsung Galaxy Tab P1010 is now available in Indian Markets for just Rs. 14,500/-. If you don't believe the news you can check out Letsbuy.com. Click here to go to the page.

The Key features of the tablet include:

• Android v2.2 (Froyo) OS

• 1 GHz Cortex-A8 Processor

• 7-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen

• 3 MP Primary Camera, 1.3 MP Secondary Camera

• Wi-Fi Enabled

• 16GB Internal Memeory/Expandable Up to 32GB/MicroSD

• Calling Not Available

As you can see that the main drawback of this Tablet is that calling facility is not available in this tablet. But so is the case with most low-cost Android tablets in the market. So if you are looking for a Tablet-PC and not a Tablet-Smartphone this tablet is for you. Otherwise, Reliance 3G tab [priced at INR 12,500/- ] is always an option, if budget is a constraint for you.

Samsung finally launched Omnia W its first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango SmartPhone in India

After a long wait, just after the arrival of Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710, Samsung has launched Omnia W its Windows Phone Mango SmartPhone for India. Samsung Omnia W became visible (to the best of my knowledge) in the product list of Samsung's Official Indian Version of the website ( www.samsung.com/in/ ) at around 18:00  IST on 18th December.

Samsung finally lists Omnia W - the Windows Phone based Smartphone  in its website

The Samsung Omnia W (also known as the Samsung Focus Flash and GT-8350) is a SmartPhone running Windows Phone operating system 7.5 also known as Mango. The device features Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 SoC clocked at 1.4 GHz, 3,7-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 480x800 and 8GB capacity of internal storage.

Omnia W is the first Windows Phone Mango to be launched by Samsung in India. Though Samsung had launched Samsung Focus, Samsung Focus S, and Samsung Focus Flash in the UK/USA Market, it wasn't until 18th Decemeber that Omnia W finally appeared in Samsung's official website for India. Hence, Omnia W is Samsung's first Windows Mango Phone by Samsung for the Indian Market.

The Samsung Omnia W - Samsung's first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango SmartPhone for India

However, the product itself was not available in stores not even with the authorized dealers. Dealers and retailers are more excited about the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note - the Android Tablet cum Phone cum NotePad.

The Awesome New Samsung Galaxy Note

Considering the fact that Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 - the much awaited Windows Phone Mango phones from the one time King of the Mobiles, were launched just 4 days its a good move by Samsung to launch Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung Omnia W at the same time. Not only this increases the competition but also gives users a wide range of products to choose from.

Nokia Lumia 701 and Nokia Lumia 800

Click on the above pic to have a better view of Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710

However, if you happened to have visited the Atta Market in Sector-18, Noida especially the Great India Palace or the Mobile retail shops opposite the Great India Palace you would have found stalls for each of the following phones:

1. Samsung Galaxy Note
2. Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710
3. HTC Sensation XL

We can easily assume that similar trend will be observed all over India.

So basically Nokia will be facing a tough competition. Lumia 710 (with approx market price 19000/- ) will be pitted against Samsung's Omnia W (with approx market price 19000/- ) while Nokia Lumia 800 (with approx market price 30000/- )will be competing against Samsung Galaxy S2 (with approx market price 29000/- ) and Samsung Galaxy Note (with approx market price 32000/- ). Also Nokia Lumia will additionally be competing with HTC Titan and HTC Radar.

To conclude its a great move by Samsung.

My experiences with Nokia 701 (Part 1) - The Nokia Ovi Suite Install and Update Problem to connect to internet using 3G

Hello Reader!

On 6th November after two weeks of extensive research (reviewing the reviews of blogs & websites about smart-phones) I decided against my younger brother's advice (which was to buy a Android phone, preferably  a device from Samsung Galaxy series) and bought Nokia 701 - equipped with Symbian Belle and the world's brightest phone in terms of 'nits' till date.

Why I preferred it over any other device will be discussed in another post. This post is about a problem that occurred when I wanted to connect to the internet by using the 3G services of my mobile.

First of all, since the package did not contain any CDs which might have contained an installer for Nokia Ovi Suite, I was a bit confused. Actually, since the phone has an internal memory of 8GB, Nokia decided to save a few bucks by dumping the software on the device memory itself.

1. Thus you can find the Nokia Ovi Suite installer in the E:\ Drive of your phone which is referred to as 'Mass Memory' by Nokia 701 .
2. You need to run the set-up.
3. Once the installation is complete, connect your device through USB and make sure your phone is in 'Dual Mode' for using 3G services (it is by default).
4. The Device Driver for the Phone will be installed followed by a connection with the Nokia Ovi Suite.
5. Click on 'Connect to Internet'

This process was quite easy and proceeded smoothly. However, after sometime the real problem began. The phone got disconnected and I tried to reconnect it. The Nokia Ovi Suite said it needed an update for further use. I let it update itself. But, it failed to update because there was no internet connection! The worst thing was the Nokia Ovi Suite has been programmed to exit, if you chose NOT to update it. This is really bad. They should have thought about it.

For update, I needed internet connection, and for internet connection I needed Ovi Suite to be connected to my device! It was a trap. I was stuck.

I needed some other internet device, but I had none. Imagine the situation. What would you do?

The idea struck me! And its simplicity was amazing. May be you have guessed it. May be not. So here are the steps to get your Nokia Ovi Suite getting updated and getting connected to the internet.

1. Uninstall the Nokia Ovi Suite.
2. Reboot the System (Preferred but not necessary)
3. Connect the device and reinstall the Nokia Ovi Suite
4. As soon as installation is complete, connect your device to Nokia Ovi Suite via USB.
5. Click on Tools -> Software Updates
6. Update Nokia Ovi Suite

So you see no you have the updated Nokia Ovi Suite 3.0 (which is displayed as 'Nokia Suite') and the internet connection you want!

I must tell you that the version 3 of Nokia Suite is much better. The Graphics and the functionality are much better than the previous version. I recommend you update your Nokia Suite ASAP.

P.S. The funny part is.... if you search (Google) for Nokia 701 or you search in the websites of major dealers you get info and image of Nokia WH 701 Stereo Headset!!

Samsung may bid for InterDigital's 8,800 patents for SmartPhones

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phones, is examining InterDigital Inc.’s patent portfolio after being approached to make a bid, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Samsung is looking at the patents along with Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG) and other potential bidders, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. InterDigital, which holds patents related to mobile technologies used to transfer information, said last month that it hired bankers as it considers a sale.

InterDigital’s engineers invented some of the technology for high-speed mobile phone networks now used by the world’s biggest handset makers. The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based company may fetch more than $5 billion, according to analysts at Algorithm Capital and Dougherty & Co. Eastman Kodak Co. (EK) and other companies also are selling their patent portfolios.
Should Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung pursue a bid, it would vie against Apple and Google to purchase all or part of a portfolio of about 8,800 patents on inventions used in devices ranging from the iPhone to Google’s Android-based handsets and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM)’s BlackBerry. Smartphone sales are forecast to almost double to 1.1 billion in 2015, according to Gartner Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut.

‘Pretty Risky’

“InterDigital has a lot of key patents,” Lee Seung Woo, a Seoul-based analyst at Shinyoung Securities Co., said by telephone. “The fight between Apple and Samsung is getting serious, so if the assets go to Apple, it could be pretty risky for Samsung. To hedge the risk, Samsung could go ahead with bidding, although they may have to pay a big premium.”
Samsung is involved in patent lawsuits with Apple since the iPhone maker sued the South Korean company in April, saying the Galaxy devices “slavishly” copied its products.
InterDigital has gained 73 percent since July 18, the day before it disclosed plans to explore a sale. The stock rose $8.75 to $71.96 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. Samsung fell 2.2 percent to 833,000 won in Seoul trading today.

Apple and Google are weighing possible bids, a person familiar with the matter said last month.
Jack Indekeu, a spokesman for InterDigital, declined to comment. Adam Yates, a U.S.-based spokesman for Samsung, didn’t return a call seeking comment.

Smartphone Supremacy

During the second quarter, Apple and Samsung became the top two makers of smartphones. Their shipments trumped those of Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) for the first time, research firm Strategy Analytics said last week. Apple’s iPhones accounted for 18.5 percent of global smartphone shipments, followed by Samsung’s 17.5 percent and Nokia’s 15.2 percent, according to the research firm.

Samsung ranks second behind Nokia in terms of overall mobile-phone shipments.
Evercore Partners Inc. (EVR) and Barclays Capital will “explore and evaluate potential strategic alternatives” that may include a sale, InterDigital said last month.

Google, whose Android operating systems runs smartphones that compete against the iPhone, lost in a bid for Nortel’s $4.5 billion portfolio to a group that included Apple and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) InterDigital’s patents in cellular technology are “deeper and stronger” than Nortel’s, InterDigital Chief Executive Officer William Merritt said in April.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeffrey McCracken in New York at jmccracken3@bloomberg.net.

Microsoft displays Windows Phone 'Mango' Phones by Samsung, Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE.

Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) kicked off on 11th July with a keynote that had CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledging poor sales of the company’s Windows Phone 7 handsets. That may soon change with the upcoming Mango update. The company today gave a sneak peek at WPC of several exciting new handsets on the way. Catch the video after the break.

Corporate VP of the OEM Division at Microsoft, Steve Guggenheimer revealed several new Mango handsets including one from Samsung. that resembles the Galaxy S II Android model.  The phone looks like the Windows Phone sibling of the Galaxy S II. Specifications are still unknown, but some are speculating that it could mirror that of the Android Galaxy. That particular phone features a dual-core processor, 1GB of ram, 4.3 super-AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, and a slender build. It could be the SGH-i937 that is currently being tested. Guggenheimer said that he was particularly excited about the Samsung device and noted that it was extremely thin and light.



However, no details and exact specifications were revealed during the presentation. Other devices mentioned on stage included Acer’s first Windows Phone, a pink waterproof handset from Fujitsu, and a ZTE handset. This was the first time these yet-to-be released Windows Phone 7 devices were shown actually running the Mango update.

Microsoft hasn’t offered up required specifications for Mango, but it’s widely expected to introduce support for a front-facing camera. Windows Phone 7.5 will release sometime this fall, so expect the second generation of Windows Phone devices to be in tow.

Samsung delivers world’s first virtual desktop monitor with Cisco Universal power-over-ethernet (UPOE) technology

The Samsung NC220 monitor with Cisco UPOE powers and connects individual monitors via the network to a “virtualized” central server that executes all tasks and applications, offering businesses a flexible and convenient cloud computing alternative to the traditional workstation setup.

Samsung designed the NC220 with its new LED BLU technology, which offers bright and clear pictures on an ultra-slim, eco-friendly design—and markedly reduces energy consumption when compared with conventional CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) monitors. Such innovations have allowed Samsung to remain the undisputed global leader in monitors for 19 straight quarters, according to a recent report from market research firm IDC.

This easy-to-deploy, easy-to-maintain desktop virtualization system reduces IT burden at every step. Software and security updates can be deployed in minutes from a centralized location, eliminating the need to service each individual workstation. Additionally, the Cisco UPOE technology is designed to enable that both data and power can be supplied through a single Ethernet cable, allowing for easier installation and more flexibility when configuring an office space.

“Samsung and Cisco are leading the way in transforming enterprise workspaces,” said Jeong-Hwan Kim, senior vice president of Display Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Now every workstation can leverage the power and speed of the company’s centralized server, while reducing energy costs and creating a more beautiful, less cluttered environment.”

Samsung virtual desktop monitor

The addition of Cisco UPOE increases flexibility and choice for businesses by extending network power resiliency, at reduced costs compared to traditional power infrastructure, to an unprecedented range of devices. Cisco UPOE can supply up to 60 watts of power—twice as much as existing power-over-Ethernet technologies, which is currently restricted to 30 watts.

“Cisco UPOE doubles the amount power delivered over the Ethernet to support many more devices, including the Samsung zero client desktop virtualization devices,” said Jeff Reed, vice president of Cisco’s Unified Access Business Unit. “Now the same Ethernet cable that provides network access will power Samsung’s industry leading virtual desktop devices—dramatically simplifying deployment and management of these devices.”

Enterprises can save additional energy by implementing Cisco’s EnergyWise to better manage and monitor the power consumption of IT devices powered and connected to their Cisco network.

Zero client monitors like the Samsung NC220 are server-based monitors for businesses’ cloud computing systems. These products eliminate the need for local CPU, memory and storage at each individual workstation; instead, the monitor is connected via the network to a central server that executes tasks traditionally handled by a desktop PC. Samsung and Cisco have been working togetherto embed the Cisco UPOE on the Samsung NC220 since the two companies entered into an alliance earlier this year.

Microsoft demands $15 per Android phone from Samsung!

“Android has a patent fee. It’s not like Android’s free. You do have to license patents. HTC’s signed a license with us and you’re going to see license fees clearly for Android as well as for Windows.” – Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft.
 
Yes its true! Microsoft has asked Samsung to pay $15 per Android phone shipped. Confused? I know you are. You are probably wondering how can Microsoft demand money for a Google Product right? You have many questions like these and this blog-post will try to answer some of them.

What makes Microsoft eligible to charge for Android phones?

Microsoft can charge for Android because of the Intellectual Property Rights it has on the technology used in Google’s Mobile Operating System.

The software giant has a wide range of patents used in the mobile platform. And there are countless lines of proprietary code in Android, and any number of ways that code -- or, yes, possibly code from the Android Open Source Project itself -- could infringe on another company's patents.

What is Microsoft’s stand on the matter?

For the past year or so, Microsoft has been saying that it holds patents on technology used in the Android mobile operating system, and has been either suing or signing licensing agreements with phone and computer manufacturers that use Android. It signed a deal with HTC in April 2010, and has sued Motorola over its Droid line and Barnes & Noble over its Nook e-readers.

In October 2010, Microsoft essentially said companies using Android need to pay up or get sued.

Has Microsoft signed patent-licensing deals with other Android makers?

Microsoft has announced a flurry of patent-licensing deals with smaller Android makers, including General Dynamics Itronix, Velocity Micro, Onkyo and – on Tuesday – Wistron. Microsoft said the Wistron deal also includes coverage for devices running Google’s Chrome browser platform.

Is Microsoft going to stop pursuing these licensing agreements?

With so many customers on its Android books, it’s unlikely Microsoft is going to stop pursuing these licensing agreements. The next target is already in its sights, and this is no small fish. Microsoft is reportedly demanding Samsung pays $15 per Android smartphone it ships.

Why target Samsung?

Samsung is the top mobile-phone manufacturer in the United States, with an average market share of 24.8 percent from March to May, comScore said Tuesday

Analysts forecast Samsung, the world’s No.2 handset maker, to have sold about 19 million smartphones in the April-June quarter, with the dominant position running on Android. It is widely expected to emerge as the No.1 smartphone maker, replacing Nokia’s more than 10-year reign.

Samsung’s Galaxy S II, successor to its flagship Galaxy S smartphone, which runs on the Android platform, has sold more than 3 million units since its debut in late April.

Why is Microsoft going for the licensing-agreements?

Google Android’s average U.S. market share among operating systems was 38.1 percent over the same period, the research firm said, followed by Apple’s iOS at 26.6 percent, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry at 24.7 percent, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Windows Phone (combined) at 5.8 percent, and HP’s Palm at 2.4 percent.

The move comes as Android phones gain in popularity. Microsoft charges handset makers such as HTC and Samsung to use its Windows mobile software and has tied up with Nokia to challenge Google and Apple Inc in the smartphone market.

When Android started to get picked up by a number of major manufacturers to use in their phones and tablets, we all rightly thought Microsoft would be on its back foot. If it wasn’t for patents the company probably would be, but as it stands, Microsoft is increasingly making more money from the sale of Android devices.

What’s Samsung’s take on the matter?

Samsung hasn’t officially responded  or even agreed to comment on the demand, but it is expected that rather than fight it the company will try and do a deal to lower the price per phone.

What can Samsung do about it?

Samsung can’t really contest this because so many other companies operating in the same markets have signed up for a license. But Samsung does have the advantage of being a desirable hardware partner for Microsoft.

With that in mind we could see some new Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 devices make it on to the Samsung product list in the near future. In exchange, expect that $15 to come down to $10, or even $5 to match what HTC are thought to pay.

What makes me Happy?


If Samsung really signs with Microsoft for more Windows Phone 7 or 8 devices, it’s quite possible that Samsung’s Software Engineering Lab, Noida will get some project. As of now only HQ covers Windows Phone projects. Since as a Microsoft Student Partner I have delivered sessions on Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone 7 and also submitted apps, it’ll be like a dream come true to finally work hard-core on Windows Phone!